Lecture and book signing with former Secretary of Defense Robert Gates. Dr. Gates was here to discuss and sign copies of his new memoir, Duty: Memoirs of a Secretary at War (Publish Date: January 14, 2014), a strikingly candid, vividly written account of his experience serving Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

In Duty, Dr. Gates takes us behind the scenes of his nearly five years as a secretary at war: the battles with Congress, the two presidents he served, the military itself, and the vast Pentagon bureaucracy; his efforts to help Bush turn the tide in Iraq; his role as a guiding, and often dissenting, voice for Obama; the ardent devotion to and love for American soldiers—his “heroes”—he developed on the job.

Robert Gates served as secretary of defense from 2006 to 2011. He also served as an officer in the United States Air Force and worked for the Central Intelligence Agency before being appointed director of the agency by President George H. W. Bush. He was a member of the National Security Council staff in four administrations and served eight presidents of both political parties, including as Deputy Director of Central Intelligence for President Reagan.

Click here to purchase your copy of Duty: Memoirs of a Secretary at War .